Smile Train Commemorates First Year of Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in Cebu with “A Year Full of Smiles”

After opening the first Comprehensive Cleft Care (CCC) center in Cebu a year ago, Smile Train is still working to increase the number of people in the province and the Visayas who have access to cleft treatment. The first CCC in Cebu has treated more than 120 patients thanks to its collaboration with Allegiant Regional Care (ARC) Hospitals and the Mabuhay Deseret Foundation, more than 100 of whom underwent life-altering cleft surgery.

Additionally, speech therapy sessions were offered, ensuring that patients had access to this crucial component of their ongoing care. The clinic offers a wide range of services, including nutrition counseling and orthodontic care, to patients who travel from as far away as Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Negros Oriental.

“Our partnership with Smile Train has allowed us to offer many Filipino patients hope and a chance to experience life-changing treatment for free. With the first comprehensive cleft care center in the region, we are able to cater to more patients and help them learn more about Smile Train’s programs of holistic care for those with cleft,” said Melody Ledesma, Country Director, Mabuhay Deseret Foundation.

According to Dr. Alex Alegrado, Medical Director of Allegiant Regional Care (ARC) Hospitals Inc, many patients have also approached the hospital inquiring about the process for receiving treatment. “Contrary to the notion that services are paused due to the pandemic, we are happy to share the cleft team at ARC continues to provide life-changing treatment for those in need.  We are happy that many of our beneficiaries continue to and are eager to go through the process of treatment. By partnering with Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, we are able to help Filipinos experience the global standard of comprehensive cleft care,” he said.

“We have reached another milestone in our goal of providing care for every cleft-affected individual, and a year full of smiles is just the beginning. We are confident that we will be able to reach more Filipinos affected with cleft and help provide them with access to the necessary comprehensive cleft care support they need,” said Jun Grimares, Program Director, Smile Train Philippines.

Smile Train promotes comprehensive cleft care, recognizing that an untreated cleft can cause various health complications such as malnutrition, difficulty breathing and speaking, hearing loss, mental health challenges, and even premature death. Leveraging on its telehealth network, Smile Train brings the services of a multidisciplinary team of specialists to promote programs that include nutritional support, orthodontic care, psychosocial support, and speech therapy, with pilot programs in dental care and ENT services.

Through its programs, Smile Train’s goal is to connect all patients to the care they need. Relying on its network of more than 50 partners, Smile Train has managed to reach more patients across the country, bringing the multiple benefits of free comprehensive cleft care to patients who need it most.

Smile Train has launched several comprehensive cleft centers with its partners, such as the Philippine Band of Mercy and Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital in Metro Manila. Through the help of its partners, Smile Train has been able to support more than 68,000 cleft surgeries in the Philippines to date.

Visit smiletrain.org to learn more about Smile Train’s global initiatives and to make a donation. And visit smiletrain.ph/get-help to find out more about the local programs offered by Smile Train in the Philippines and to suggest a patient who needs aid. Like Smile Train Philippines on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines and follow us on Instagram at @SmileTrainPh.